New York City Buzz

The weather is finally starting to turn around here in NYC and spring is officially here! On a nice weekday afternoon I decided to join many other tourists and New Yorkers for a stroll through Central Park. I spend a fair amount of time in the park as a local, but it is never enough! The park is amazing in every season, I even got lost in it during a snowstorm a few weeks ago! That being said, spring is one of the best times of year to visit since the temperature is more moderate than the summer or winter....

Downtown Manhattan has always seemed cutting edge and modern. A favorite location for skyscraper designers, the Financial District (now sometimes known as FiDi) attracts as many tourists and trendy locals s it does bankers and businessmen. All this new development cannot change the fact that Downtown is the oldest neighborhood in the city. It is even older than America, having been settled by Native Americans for many generations before the Dutch established a shipping port and fort in 1625 known as New Amsterdam. Wall Street was originally as far North as the settlement extended! New York City also played a...

Chinatown is one of the best places you can visit on your trip to NYC. It is drastically different from all the other neighborhoods and offers sights and experiences you won’t find anywhere else. The food in Chinatown cannot be beat in terms of variety and price and there is one item sure to be on the menu at nearly any eatery you choose: the dumpling! In case you have not had the pleasure, a dumpling is dough wrapped around a filling of some kind. The varieties are endless and many cultures have their own version; whether it be...

Here at Top Dog Tours, we love dogs of all shapes and sizes. NYC offers so much for dog owners from great pet shops, the best parks, and even pet friendly bars! One of the best opportunities city pooches have to socialize would be at one of many dog runs. Dog runs give dogs a chance to run, sniff, and play with one another in a safe, fenced-off enclosure. Since most NYC owners do not have a yard and leash laws are strictly enforced, the city offers many of these dog runs and it is a gift not just...

If you’re a fan of comedy, odds are you’ve heard of New York City. Well, if you’re a human on planet earth you’ve probably heard of New York City, BUT this fact doesn’t make the theme of this blog as clear. By your probable reaction of “oof” to that mediocre joke, you might have guessed that – yes – the next page or two is dedicated to comedy! More specifically, comedy in New York City. I would argue that New York City is one of two major comedy hubs in the United States – the other one being the Second...

As a Tour Guide and a New Yorker, I’m often asked which neighborhood in New York is my favorite. Typically, what someone is really saying is that they have a free afternoon and want advice on places to check out that aren’t classic tourist attractions. They want to experience a few new, unique, only-in-New-York experiences that cater to locals but are still exciting for someone visiting the city. Almost every time, my recommendation is the same: if you want to go off the beaten path, spend a lazy afternoon in Greenwich Village and just try to blend in. While you’re...

New York City gets a reputation for being noisy, crowded, and expensive. But there is one month of the year where that is not true. Although it may seem like a terrible time to travel to the North East, savvy tourists know February cannot be beat in terms of pricing and availability. If you want to have the place (almost) to yourself, you have to come visit this time of year. 1. It’s Waaaaay Less Crowded! Many tourists are scared to travel to NYC in the winter because of the cold weather. The average daily high temperature is around 32℃,...

If you’re anything like me, you’ve come to New York for one thing, the food. But where do you even start on this delicious journey? There are so many options and between shopping at Herald Square, seeing a Broadway show, and paying your respects at the 9/11 memorial, you don’t have much time to scout out authentic cuisine. However, there is one cuisine, among all of the fancy tasting menus and the mouthwatering food cart halal, that you cannot leave New York without trying: New York City pizza! So below I have provided a small selection of pizza options...

This weekend I spent an amazing afternoon exploring one of NYC’s most iconic spaces: Battery Park! At the southernmost tip of Manhattan sits an oasis of green grass, historical monuments, and incredible views of New York Harbor. You could spend an entire day wandering around and seeing all the park has to offer, but even a quick walk is a great break from the hustle and bustle of lower Manhattan. It was very cold out but it didn’t bother me or the many others out exploring one of the cities best parks! Here is just some of what you...

Where to find your tour guide on her day off So you’ve been to all of the rooftop bars, spent more than you wanted on a NYC helicopter ride, eaten a 5 course tasting menu in midtown, but you still don’t feel like you’ve seen the real New York. Well that’s because you haven’t! Don’t be scared to explore the outer avenues of Hell’s Kitchen or to journey through the artsy alleyways of Greenwich Village. There you will find the real New York, the dive bars where the creatives and out of the box thinkers gather to sip on...